Glenallachie Single Cask 15 Years Old 2006 (Cask 4465)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 15 year old, from 2006, cask 4465, at 60.5%, 301 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, the home distillery of master distiller Billy Walker. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

It was distilled to a full, generous cut, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It was matured in a Red Wine cask, the wood working deep into the malt. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the orchard notes turning to raisin, fig and a dark chocolate. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour.

At a natural 60.5% it is full and rich. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with red berry and a dry spice from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is a Speyside single malt of real standing.